I have, on many occasions, mentioned why it is so important to turn to social media to help market your cosmetic surgery practice. It offers a way to speak to your potential patients on their level, answer their questions, and really be honest about how your practice runs. You can be a bit goofier and fun on social media – show a side of yourself that may not often be revealed through other sources of marketing.
However, I stumbled across an article on People.com that made me question how far is too far in terms of social media marketing. This article explained that Dr. Matthew Schulman in New York City was Snapchatting his surgeries. Per the item by Julie Mazziotta (2016), Dr. Schulman does this to give his followers an inside look into the operating room. He also claims the snaps benefit his patients as well because 95% of the people that come in want to have their operation Snapchatted so they can watch them after the procedure is finished. People.com At first, I’ll admit. I was a bit nervous about this. It seemed slightly too “into the future” for me, though I could understand how it would be interesting to watch. I wondered how the patients felt about being featured on Snapchat. Did they feel vulnerable or taken advantage of? However, upon reading further into the article, Dr. Schulman did mention that each patient is completely anonymous. Their faces and identifying body parts are covered, and no names are given. Plus, all snaps disappear in 24 hours. Suddenly, I realized that Dr. Schulman seemed to be less about creating a show for his followers, and more about showing them what surgery was really like.
Everyone has seen those educational programs on TV where they show live operations, I’m sure, and this appears to be no different. Yes, it was quite a shock to learn it was happening on Snapchat of all places, but once that shock wore off, I understood Dr. Schulman was trying to perform a service. According to him, these videos are helping to destigmatize plastic surgery because a lot of people think it’s like what we see on Extreme Makeover or Botched. He wants to prove how wrong we are.
So, here’s my question. As professionals in the same field, how do you feel about Dr. Schulman’s Snapchatting? I would very much like the input of those who know the operating room firsthand.
Thank you for reading, and I look forward to your responses!